Guard for flasks.



PA-TENTEDROGT. 22. 1907.

A. BRUEBAGH.

GUARD FOR FLASKS.

APPLICATION ,IILED D110. e, 1906.

I'NVENTOR. f2?

WITNESSES:

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ATTOR Y.

AUGUST BRUEBAOH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GUARD FOR FLASKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed December 6,1906. Serial No. 346,674.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST BRUEBACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards for Flasks; and I. do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a novel construction in a guard for flasks, the'object being to provide a device of this character which is adapted to receive the glass coffee flasks, used by workinglnen and which will prevent breakage thereof either by falling over or by direct contact with heating surfaces and consists in the features of construction hereinafter fully described and claimed. I

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention Figure 1. is a view in side elevation of a guard or protector for flasks constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the flask in place therein. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. is a plan section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig 4 is a detail fragmentary view in elevation showing the two ends of the guard adapted to engage each other to close the same and illustrating the means employed for locking the joint against free vertical movement. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. l. 7

The coffee flasks employed are relatively flat being elliptical in cross section.

It is customary among the working classes to place such flasks on convenient heating surface sufficiently before the lunch hour to heat the contents of the flask. Owing to their flat shape such flasks easily fall over and in striking hard surfaces are easily broken. Furthermore, when placing said flasks on a heating surface the direct contact of the glass at one or more points with such hot surfaces causes the same to fracture and consequently breakage from various causes is so frequent as to render the use of such flasks relatively expensive.

The object of my present invention is to provide a re movable guard for the flask so constructed as to cushion such flask in the event that the same shall fall over and which is further effective in preventing direct contact of said flask with heating surfaces and thereby avoiding fracture from all causes.

My said guard comprises an elliptical sleeve A of sheet-metal, such sleeve being of less width than the greatest width of the flask it is adapted to receive. Such sleeve is composed of a single piece of sheet metal which is preferably beaded as at B and G- on its upper and lower edges and may be further provided with a circular bead D between its ends and preferably on both sides of its flatter surface. The ends of said guard are provided with overturned flanges E and F which are adapted to hook into and engage each other to prevent said guard from opening. The flange E at one end of said guard is preferably contracted at its lower end immediately above an inwardly projecting peripheral bead G adjacent the lower edge of the guard as at H and the other end of said guard is provided adjacent the lower edge and above said bead G with a horizontal in cision I'at which the flange F thereof terminates. The said incision I enables the flange F to pass outwardly over said flange E and be sprung into the same while the portion below said incision I is sprung inwardly of the corresponding portion of the other end of the guard, the joint thus effected preventing relative vertical movement of said flanges E and F. At a plurality of points immediately above said peripheral bead G archaic incisions are cut in said guard to provide tongues .I which are bent overinwardly and form stops or supports K for the bottom of the flask and limit the movement of the latter in said guard in one direction.

As previously stated said guard is formed on an ellipse, the g1 eatest width of which is less than the greatest width ofthe flask (as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.) so that to insert said flask it is necessary to draw or expand said jacket in one direction and contract the same in a transverse direction. The peripheral length of the guard is also greater than the peripheral length of the flask so that when said flask is inserted the latter is brought into direct contact with the guard at the side or narrowest portions of the flask and guard, the broader, flatter surfaces of guard and flask being separated by air spaces L. The expansion of the guard by insertion of the flask will obviously insure strong frictional contact between said parts and thus prevent the latter from being readily separated.

The guard is preferably left open in the manufacture thereof so as to permit of the same being nested in shipment and storage to occupy the smallest possible space, but may, if desired, be closed at the factory.

Flasks in tipping will obviously always tip in the direction of their least width. Hence if a flask pro vided with a guard constructed in accordance with this invention should be placed on a stove or the like and be accidentally knocked over the jacket only would strike the hard surface and by reason of the free spaces L between the same and the flask, the latter would not be subjected to any jar suflieient to fracture the same, nor would the same be brought suddenly in contact with a hot surface which might tend to cause fracture. The flask with the guard may be placed vertically on the stove or other heating surface or the same may be laid on its side, but in all cases direct contact of the glass with the hot surfaces would be avoided and fracture prevented.

My said guard is exceedingly cheap to produce and by its use the life of a glass-flask will be greatly prolonged and the use of the latter which are far more sanitary than the metal flasks heretofore commonly used will be thereby greatly encouraged.

I claim as my invention:

1. A guard for flasks, comprising an elliptical sheet metal sleeve having its greatest diameter less than the greatest width of the flask and adapted to receive the latter and be expanded in one direction thereby.

2. A guard for flasks, comprising an elliptical sheetmetal sleeve having its greatest diameter less than the greatest width of the flask and adapted to receive the latter and be expanded in one direction thereby, and a stop between the ends of said sleeve to limit the movement of said flask therein in one direction.

3. A guard for flasks comprising an elliptical sheetmetal sleeve adapted to receive the flask, and correspond ing on its longer diameter substantially with the longer diameter of said flask to provide relative snug fit between the same, the shorter diameter of said sleeve being greater than the shorter diameter of said flask to provide air spaces on either side between said flask and said sleeve.

4. In a device of the kind specified, the combination with a non-cylindrical flask, of a guard comprising a sheet metal sleeve engaging said flask only on those portions of the surface thereof farthest removed from the center thereof, said sleeve being bulged outwardly between its points of contact with said flask, thereby forming air spaces between said bulged portions and the adjacent surfaces of said flask.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST BRUEBACI-I.

Witnesses RI'DULPII WM. Lo'rz, A. FRAXCK liIILIrsoX. 

